The competition drew over 40 global submissions to decarbonise beef and dairy supply chains, with winning solution set to scale across one of Asia’s leading retail networks
HONG KONG SAR- Media OutReach Newswire - 9 June 2026 - DFI Retail Group (DFI or the Group), a leading Asian retailer, and The Mills Fabrica, a global collaborative hub propelling sustainability-focused innovations in the techstyle and agrifood sectors, named Number 8 Bio as the winner of the DFI Sustainability Innovation Challenge 2026. This announcement follows the Final Pitching event, which was held on 5 June, World Environment Day. The Australia-based innovator was recognised for BetterFeed™, a range of proprietary feed additives that cut enteric methane from grazing cattle and sheep while improving the productivity of every animal that uses it. The team takes home a HK$120,000 grant and the opportunity to partner with DFI to scale its solution across the Group's regional beef and dairy supply chains.
Representatives of DFI Retail Group, The Mills Fabrica, and the judging panel jointly presented the award to Thomas Williams, CEO and Co-Founder of Number 8 Bio, who was named the winner of the Challenge.
Scott Price, Group Chief Executive, DFI Retail Group said: "Tackling Scope 3 emissions requires collaboration across the value chain, and we are pleased that the Challenge has created opportunities for innovators to test and scale practical solutions within real operating environments. We look forward to seeing how they support our progress towards more sustainable and resilient food systems."
Meet the Winner: From Pitch to Pilot Across Asia's Supply Chains
Number 8 Bio has built a feed additive that does two jobs at once. BetterFeed™, a family of proprietary organic small molecules, free of bromoform, reduces enteric methane from grazing cattle and sheep, which is responsible for both the majority of livestock emissions and a 12% loss of nutritional energy from every pasture. By stopping that methane from forming, BetterFeed™ redirects the recovered energy straight back into animal growth and production, a genuine win for farmers' bottom lines as much as for the climate. Winning the DFI Sustainability Innovation Challenge opens a pilot pathway across DFI's beef and dairy supply chains, including with Mengniu Dairy and Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CPF).
Thomas Williams, CEO and Co-Founder of Number 8 Bio said, "We are grateful for the exposure to such a high-calibre ecosystem, from fellow innovators addressing the same problem from different angles to the investors and industry players. The conversations alone have accelerated our thinking in ways that months of independent work could not."
Cintia Nunes, General Manager, Head of Asia, The Mills Fabrica said, "The next phase of climate innovation is not just about discovering new technologies but helping them scale in ways that create tangible change. DFI is an industry leader willing to put real supply-chain access and pilot pathways behind climate-tech innovators. We are committed to deepening this partnership with DFI and to working with more forward-looking partners, so that the most promising innovators get the partnerships, capital and pilots they need to translate their work to commercial impact."
- Provectus Algae (Australia): Creator of Surf'N'Turf®, a scalable seaweed-based feed supplement designed to reduce ruminant livestock methane emissions. Powered by Provectus Algae's proprietary Precision Photosynthesis® and AI-enabled biomanufacturing platform, Surf'N'Turf® has demonstrated enteric methane reductions of up to 98% while improving feed efficiency and supporting lower-emission livestock systems.
- AbacusBio (New Zealand): A genetics consultancy working in over 30 countries. Its Methane Sire Selection Tool is an app that generates a selection index to help select breeding sires for genetic methane reduction, balancing total and intensity emissions cuts with on-farm profitability metrics.
- eVerse.AI (India): Their dual-track platform is revolutionising dairy sustainability and productivity, leveraging cutting-edge innovation. GreenCow harnesses methane measurement tech and eco-friendly interventions to generate verified carbon credits, empowering farmers to monetise their sustainable practices. ConnectedCow, a SaaS platform, integrates biometric ID with AI-driven insights to optimise milk yield, fertility, and herd health, providing a unified dashboard for monitoring productivity, breeding, and methane.
- Kinava (South Korea): G2E Company (Green Waste to Energy) applies Hybrid Hydrothermal Carbonization to convert organic waste — livestock manure, food waste, wood waste, and sewage sludge — into odorless biofertilizer, biocoal, biocokes, biochar, and biogas in under three hours, using 70% less energy than conventional drying. Kinava's first commercial plant has processed 100T/d pig manure since 2024, with a cassava-to-biocoal pilot plant also installed in Thailand in 2025.
Erica Chan, Group Chief Legal, Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, DFI Retail Group added: "We are pleased that this partnership with The Mills Fabrica has identified technologies with real commercial potential. Their global network and deep expertise in sustainability innovation helped us connect with a very strong cohort of climate-tech innovators. What impressed us most was the commercial readiness of the solutions. These are practical technologies with the potential to reduce emissions, strengthen supply chain resilience, and support more sustainable food systems."
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DFI Retail Group
DFI Retail Group is a leading Asian retailer driven by its purpose to “Sustainably Serve Asia for Generations with Everyday Moments”. At 31 December 2025, the Group and Maxim’s operated 7,580 outlets and employed more than 79,000 people across 12 markets. The Group is committed to delivering quality, value and service to consumers across the region through trusted brands, strong local market positions, and a broad retail ecosystem supported by extensive store networks, digital capabilities and efficient supply chains. The Group operates a portfolio of well-known brands across five key divisions: health and beauty, convenience, food, home furnishings and restaurants under Maxim's.
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Seed Medical Reminds Parents: Early Identification Helps Reduce Learning, Emotional and Family Stress
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire – 29 June 2026 – In Hong Kong's academically driven environment, when children show signs such as being distracted in class, procrastinating on homework, being unable to sit still, frequently interrupting others or acting impulsively, parents may easily interpret these behaviours as being "naughty", "lazy" or "unwilling to try". Seed Medical reminds parents that if such situations persist and have already affected a child's learning, emotions, daily life or interpersonal relationships, parents should correctly understand Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and avoid relying solely on scolding or stricter discipline, which may delay the child's opportunity to receive appropriate support.
ADHD Is a Common Childhood Neurodevelopmental Condition and May Continue Into Adolescence or Even Adulthood
Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood neurodevelopmental condition. Its main presentations may include being easily distracted, unable to sit still and impulsive behaviours. According to information from Hong Kong's mental health information platform Shall We Talk, the prevalence of ADHD among Hong Kong schoolchildren is similar to international figures, at approximately 5% to 9%. The U.S. CDC also notes that ADHD is usually diagnosed in childhood and may continue into adolescence or even adulthood; children may experience difficulties with attention, controlling impulsive behaviours or activity levels.
High Academic Pressure in Hong Kong May Amplify Symptoms and Increase Misinterpretation
Seed Medical points out that homework, dictation, tests, tutoring and school advancement pressure commonly seen in Hong Kong families may make ADHD-related difficulties more visible. At the same time, these pressures may also cause parents to attribute the issue solely to attitude or discipline. Some children may already be trying their best, yet still often get blamed because they have difficulty sustaining attention, frequently forget items, fail to remember instructions, act impulsively or are unable to remain seated.
In the long term, if the issue is not correctly recognised, children may gradually develop a sense of frustration and lowered self-confidence, which may also intensify parent-child conflict and family stress.
ADHD May Not Simply "Get Better With Age"; Emotions, Relationships and Family Dynamics May Also Be Affected
Many parents assume that ADHD only affects academic performance, or believe that children will "grow out of it naturally". In reality, the impact of ADHD is not limited to classroom performance. It may also involve emotional regulation, interpersonal interaction, self-management and family relationships.
According to the UK National Health Service, symptoms of ADHD in children and young people may include difficulty concentrating, being unable to sit still and difficulty controlling impulses. Support may include adjustments at home and school, lifestyle arrangements and, where appropriate, medication.
When Should Parents Seek Professional Assessment? Four Warning Signs to Watch For
Seed Medical reminds parents that if teachers repeatedly report that a child has difficulty concentrating in class, cannot sit still, impulsively interrupts others or shows affected behavioural performance, or if parents notice persistent difficulties with homework, tests, daily arrangements and emotional state, they should avoid addressing the situation only through scolding, stricter discipline or asking the child to "try harder".
If the situation has already affected the child's learning performance, emotional health, interpersonal interaction or family relationships — for example, parent-child conflicts becoming increasingly frequent, or the child developing frustration, self-blame, lowered confidence or even resistance to attending school due to repeated criticism — parents are advised to seek professional medical advice early to understand whether further assessment and support are needed.
Parents may pay particular attention to the following four warning signs:
1. Classroom performance is persistently affected
Teachers repeatedly report that the child has difficulty concentrating in class, cannot sit still, often interrupts others or acts impulsively.
2. Learning and daily self-care show obvious difficulties
The child frequently experiences procrastination, omissions or confusion when handling homework, tests, packing a schoolbag, remembering instructions or completing daily tasks.
3. Emotional state and self-confidence decline
The child becomes easily frustrated, self-blaming, emotionally low, or develops resistance toward learning and attending school due to frequent criticism.
4. Parent-child conflict and family stress increase
The family frequently experiences conflict over homework, behaviour or daily rules, and both parents and the child feel significant stress.
Seed Medical recommends that if the above situations persist and have already affected the child's learning, daily life or emotional state, parents should consider seeking assessment from child and adolescent psychiatry or relevant professionals, so as to understand the child's needs early.
Treatment Is Not About Making a Child "Behave", but About Helping Improve Core Difficulties
In terms of treatment, medication for ADHD is not intended to make a child "behave" or change their personality. Rather, under a doctor's diagnosis and clinical judgement, it may help improve core symptoms such as attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity according to the child's condition, making it easier for the child to participate in learning and manage behaviour and emotions.
Mayo Clinic Health System notes that common treatment approaches for childhood ADHD may include medication, behavioural therapy, counselling and educational support. The treatment goal is to reduce symptoms and related impact, and adjustments should be made according to individual circumstances.
Seed Medical currently provides child and adolescent psychiatry-related services, including ADHD-related clinical assessment, diagnostic recommendations, medication treatment assessment, follow-up consultations and treatment adjustment. The team recommends that if parents notice persistent impact on their child's attention, behaviour, emotions or learning performance, they may first seek professional medical advice to understand the child's actual needs before deciding on the appropriate direction of support.
References
- Shall We Talk. (2024). Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder - ADHD.
- CDC. (2025). About ADHD. Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- NHS. (2025). ADHD in children and young people.
- Mayo Clinic Health System. (2024). 5 tips for managing ADHD in children.
- About Seed Medical
About Dr. Sin Wai Law
Dr. Sin Wai Law (Vicky) is a Hong Kong registered medical practitioner providing psychiatry-related consultations and clinical assessment services at Seed Medical. Dr. Law supports the mental health needs of children, adolescents, adults and older adults, including emotional difficulties, anxiety and stress-related concerns, attention and behavioural issues, neurodevelopmental-related difficulties, sleep concerns and cognitive-related issues.
During consultation, Dr. Law will conduct a clinical assessment based on each individual's circumstances, and provide appropriate diagnostic advice, treatment options and follow-up care where clinically indicated. The aim is to help patients and their families better understand the situation and consider suitable directions for further support.
Hashtag: #SeedMedical #Medical #Health
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SeedMedical
Seed Medical is a local medical service provider offering various specialist and health management services, including psychiatry-related specialist services. The team is committed to providing mental health assessment, diagnosis, treatment advice and ongoing follow-up for children, adolescents and adults in a professional, reassuring and patient-centred manner. Seed Medical aims to help patients and families better understand emotional, attention, behavioural or learning difficulties at an earlier stage, and improve daily life, learning and interpersonal relationships with appropriate support.
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